Electrical plug-connector



E 2 fir/1A 2 Patented July 20, 1920.

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Wmm (imam W4 0. TREGONING. I ELECTRICAL PLUG CONNECTOR.

AiPLlCATlOH FILED MAR 24, 1917.

UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM C. TREGONING, CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOB, TO THE CUTLEKHAMMER. MFG. ('30., OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

ELECTRICAL PLUG-CONNECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 24, 1917. Serial No. 157,218.

To allwhom it; mayponcern:

Be it known thatl, lVrLLrAM C. TREGON- ING, citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the'county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Plug-Connectors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electrical plug connectors, and comprises a screw plug hav-. ing a central end contact and a perforated metal 'end caporannulus through which the leading-in wires or conductors may be easily projected and to which said wires may be conveniently ailixed by an autogenous or soldered union.

Many electrical devices when placed on the market embody a cordconductor and screw plug, and the matter of affixing such 0 plugs to the cords involves time, labor and expense which my device is'designed to reduce to a minimum. The cutting and stripping of the conductors and .threading of-the stripped ends through the plug and the fas- 5 tening of such ends, is vitally afiected by the structural arrangement of the plug parts, and my connector is especially designed to simplify the workinvolved and to afford a strong and durable connector of small, com- :0 pact and neat appearance.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 to 5, show enlarged sectional views of the five parts which constitute my improved connector when made up to provide a screw tact, and Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section through the connector as it appears completely assembled, and showing the stripped conductors as they appear when partly in- .troduced into the connector body.- Fig. 7 is an end view of the connector looking down upon Fig. 6, and Fig. 8 is a side view of the connector partly broken away to show the bent end of a conductor in soldering position in the annular trough or gutter formed between the rounded metal annulus and'the central stud. I

-Fig. 9 is a sectional view, showing the perforated annulusand screw shell made in shell independently rotatable of the endconone piece and adapted to be used as a substitute for the two. pieces shown in Figs. 3 and/l.

The connector comprises a cylindrical position and having a round open chamber 3 with a central entrance 4 at its bottom through which the conductor cord 5 is in troduced. As shown, body 2 is provided with a reduced portion having rounded screw threads 6 to secure a metal screw shell 7 thereto but this maybe made otherwise and the screw shell fastened in any suitable Patented July 20, 1920.

body 2 made of porcelain or insulatlng comway, and the exact formation of the enlarged portion 8 of the body is not of material consequence except that it be suitably shapedto provide a good finger grip to r0- tate the body in screwing the plug into a socket. Screw shell 7 is secured to body 2 and prevented from turning independently of the body by indenting a portion thereof into a recess or channel 9 in the side of the body, see Fig. 8, but the shell may be molded in place or .fixed in anysuitable way upon the body. A fiber body 2' such as shown in Fi 9 may be used. I

'Ihe outer end of the shell is crimped or spun to provide an inwardly-extending annular sh0ulder'10 adapted to bear agai st the end edge 11 of the body and to seat the short lateral annular flange 12 of a metal annulus 13 which forms an end cap and closure for the open body and has other important functions as will hereinafter appear. Screw shell 7 is also formed with a straight circular edge or extension 14: (Fig. 4:) in producing annular shoulder 10, and this edge is spun over flange 12 to lock the annulus 13, either immovably in place, or if preferred, without binding so that the shell and annulus may be rotated independently of each other. are interlocked and not intended to be separated, and if desired the annulus and screw shell may be made in one piece as shown in Fig. 9, where the shell 15 has a. shorter thread 16 and a concavo-convex and cupped end 17 with aseries of perforations 18 radially at the vertex of its convex portion and In either event the two parts A I insulating material, and a wedging or tight fit is obtained by forcing the smaller tapered portion of the stud through the open- 4 ing until the annular shoulder 21 about the stud is seated upon the flange about central opening '19, and thestud is also held in upright position and absolutely locked in place by upsetting the inner wallof the annulus at 22 against the upper tapered side of the stud adjacent each perforation 18. This operation not only efl'ects locking of the stud in its central position but also enlarges the perforation 18, a matter of moment in that "the perforations are intended to afford a ready outlet for one of the stripped ends 24 of the leading-in wires or conductors forming part of cord 5; and because a series'of these perforations'18 are radially arranged about the stud and are also located at the Vertex of the rounded annulus, a thrust at random will be suflici'ent usually to project the end.24 through a perforation and into view and convenient reach outside of the cap or annulus. At the same time the end 25 of the other stripped conductor is easily directed on a straight line through the open V passage 26'centrally of the stud and out of v I mit the use of two stripped ends the top thereof through the tubular metal rivet or eyelet 27 which is crimned upon or molded into the outer end of said stud. In the present showing, the inner end of stud passage 26 is made flaring to facilitate the entrance of wire end 25 but this is not absolutely essential although the preferred con-- struction. I

The structural features enumerated perofequal length to be used which is of advantage in cutting the cord to proper length, in stripping the conductors of their nsulation, iii

threading the stripped ends through the connector, and in soldering the ends in place.

N 0 terminal fastening devices, such as binding screws are used, as both ends 24 and 25 are permanently secured by the use of solder or an autogenous weld. either form 'of'union being very easily obtained in the present plug connector because end 25 may be caused to project a slight distance beyond the contact face of the eyelet, washer or rivet 27 and is easily upset,'soldered or welded thereto, while end 24 is projected to a greater .shell and into which said circuit wire is length through one of the perforations 18 a and easily bent at right angles into the annular V-shaped trough or gutter 28 which is formed by the inner rounded side of the annulus and the inclined side of the stud,see

Fig. 8, and this troughis especially conven- 7 ient in soldering the end 24 upon the metal annulus.

WhatIclaimis: ,1 1. An electrical plug connector comprising a metal screw shell havingat one end a' 7i finger grip through which circuit wires, may be passed into said shell and having at its opposite end a centrally perforated conducting'cap provided with an opening through which one of the circuit wires may e by said cap centrally thereof, said member projecting'from said cap into said shell and havingl-a passage through which another of the circuit wires may be passed to the ex terior of said shell and a contact carried by said insulating member to which the latter circuit wire may be connected externally of said shell.

2. An electrical plug connector comprising a metal screw shell having at one end a finger grin through which circuit wires may be passed into said shell and having at its oppositeend a centrally perforated conducting cap provided with an opening through which one of the circuit wires may be passed for connection to said cap externally of said shell, an insulating member carried by said cap centrally thereof, said member projecting from said cap into said shell and having' a passage through which another of the circuit wires may be passed to the exterior of said shell, said passage being substantially axially alined with the wire opening in said finger grip and having an enlarged diameter adjacent to said finger grip and a'contact carried by said insulating member for connection to the latter circuit wire.

3. An electrical plug connector comprising a metal screwshell havin atone end a finger grip through which circuit wires may be passed into said shell and having at its opposite end a centrallyiperforated metal cap provided with an annular channel communicating with the interior of said shell and further provided with openings through any of which one circuit wire may be passed for connection to said cap externally of. said guided'by the walls of said channel, an in- Slllittlllg member carried by said cap centrally thereof and provided with a passage through which another of the circuit wires may be passed to the exterior of said. shell and a contact carried by said insulating member for connection to the latter. circuit Wire.

'8( passed for connection to said cap externally 'of said shell, an insulating member carried 4. An electrical plug connector comprising a metal screw shell having at one end a 5. An electrical .plug connector compris,

ing a metal screw shell having at one end a finger grip through which circuit wires may be passed into said shell and having at its opposite end a relatively rotatable conducting annulus, said annulus having an annular channel communicating with the interior of said shell and having openings through which one of the circuit wires may be passed for connection to said annulus externally of said shell and into which the circuit wire is adapted to be guided by the walls of said channel, an insulating member carried by.

said annulus centrally thereof, said insulat- 111g member PIOJGCtlIlg from said annulus into said shell and having a passage throughwhich another of the circuit wires may be passed to the exterior of said shell and a contact carried by said insulating member for connection to the latter circuit wire.

6. An electrical plug connector, comprising a metal screw shell, a perforated metal annulus united in inseparable and rotatable connection with said shell having a central aperture, a tubular stud of insulating material extending through said aperture and secured to said annulus, and a metal contact at the outer end of said stud. v

7. An electric plug connector comprising a metal screw shell having at one end a finger grip through which circuit wires may be passed into said shell and having at its opposite end a centrally perforated conducting cap having portions thereof displaced to provide openings through any of which one of the circuit wires may be passed for connection to said cap externally of said shell and an insulating member carried by said cap centrally thereof, said member being secured in position on said cap by said displaced portions of the latter and having a through passage for another of the circuit wires and a contact carried by said insulating member to which the latter circuit wire may be connected externally of said shell.

8. An electrical plug connector comprising a metal screw shell having at one end a finger grip through which wires may be insulating passed into said'shell and having atits opposite end a centrally perforated cap to'be connected to one of the circuit wires, and a stud of insulating material carried by said cap within the central opening-thereof,- said stud being provided with a through wire passage having a uniform diameter adjacent a to the outer end ofsaid stud and throughout the remainder of its length having a gradually increasing diameter and acontact mounted on said insulating stud, saidcontact having a tubular portion fitting within the outer end of the passage in said. stud and having its end flared within said passage for securement therewithin.

9. A swivel attachment plug having an end contact, .a side contact rotatable relatively thereto and a contact associated with said side contact to provide a relatively stationary terminal therefor, said first and third mentioned contacts being exposed .in'

all rotary positions of said side contact for Wiring 'of the: plug after assembly thereof and being positioned for concealment upon insertion of the plug into its receptacle.

10. An attachment plug comprising a metallic screw shell, a contact in engagement therewith and an end contact insulated from said screw shell and said engaging contact, said screw shell being rotatable relatively to both of said contacts and both of said contacts having terminal parts external of said screw shell and exposed for attachment of wires thereto afterassembly of the plug but being positioned for concealment upon I insertion of the plug into'its receptacle.

11. An attachment plug comprising an insulated end contact, a metallic screw shell rotatable with respect thereto and a contact carried by said screw shell and having a swivel connection therewlth, said end contact and said lastmentioned contact being' accessible externally of said screw shell for wiring of the plug after assembly thereof.

12. An attachment plug comprising an insulated end contact, a metallic screw shell rotatable with respect thereto and a contact carried by said screw shell and having a swivel connection therewith, said end contact and said last mentioned contact being accessible externally of said screw shell for wiring of the plug after assembly thereof, and each of said contacts having an exposed portion adapted for soldering of a line wire.

13. An attachment plug comprisingan bushing, a metallic screw shell mounted thereon, an annular contact, said contact and screw shell having "interfitting flanges affording a swivel connectiontherebetween and serving to secure the same in assembled relation and an insulated end contact secured in assembled relation. with respect to the aforesaid elements by said annular contact, said end contact and said i annular contact accessible from within and without the assembled plug for wiring thereof. 14. An attachment plug comprising an insulated end contact, a screw shell r0t'atable relatively thereto, a re1atively stationary contact to engage sald shell, said screw shell and contacts being permanently secured together in a relation to render both of said contacts thereafter accessible for wiring and 10 an insulating bushing fitting within the end of said screw shell and afi'ording a hand grip therefor.

Signed at Cleveland, in the 'county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, this 12th day 15 

